Food Markets in Madrid, Spain

A woman arranges fruit juice as La Boqueria opens at 8 in the morning.A woman hands Hake, a deep sea fish over to a customer in La Boqueria. Spain is the highest consumer of Hake in Europe.A man meat stall in La Boqueria.Pablo Burcaizea, the owner of a crêperie stand in La Boqerilla, talks to Javi, 12, the nephew of one of the vendors who sells ham, one of the oldest stores in the market.“We have been friends for his whole life, since he’s younger.”He’s been in the market since he was a baby in a carriage. “If the market needed a mascot, they don’t need to hire it – we already have him. He will be the logo of the market,” said Burcaizea. “I love the international influence, how cosmopolitan this market is.”Ana Maria Comellas has been working there 12 years, is a worker. “I like everything about markets, because I’ve always behind the counter. My parents already had a store when I was young and I’ve been raised behind the counter. I like everything, the ambiance, the people, attending to the people,” said Comellas.Lamb instestine, head, tongue and brain for sale in La Boqueria.Shoppers croud around the seafood stalls in La Boqueria that have lloborro, a European seabass, salmon, razor clams and shrimp.A man prepares squid in La Boqeria. His stall has shrimps, crabs, lobsters and clams.A man walks by hanging Padrón peppers, grown in northwestern Spain in La Boqeria.Ramon Mellado, 50, has been working in Mercado de Antón Martín in Madrid for 12 years. He’s been working with meats for 32 years, starting when he was 16. When asked why he started working with meats, he stated, “It’s a bit complicated … because of my dad. I was a partier, I’d party a lot, and my dad told me, “you, go work.” He searched for this work.” “Dealing with the public is what I love the most.”Luis Alvarez Jimenez, 44, has been working in Mercado de Antón Martín in Madrid for 12 years. He sells bull meat, pork, and lamb. “I love my job,” he stated. “I love attending the public.”A fruit juice stand in Mercado San Antón in Madrid. Built in 1945 and remodeled in in 2002, this four storied market has fruits, meats, fish and baked goods.It also has tapas restaurants and a rooftop terrace.